Stitching apparatus



Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,839

M. CHRISTENSEN 'STITCHING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 30 1926. I

' 1,608,839 M. CHRISTENSEN STITCHING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1926 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

ill

Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN CHRISTENSEN, OF ELMHURST, ILLINOIz, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHRISTENSEN MACHINE COMPANY, OF RACTNE, WISCONSIN, A CORFORATION OF "WISCONSIN.

s'rrmonme ArrAnA'rUs.

Application filed January 2. 1926. Serial No. "78,926.

The invention relates to book-stitching machines, and more particularly to the stitching apparatus for such machines.

Heretofore machines have been of two distinct types, to wit: the saddle-stitch type and the side-stitch type, so that two separate and distinct machines had to be provided to accommodate the difierent kinds of work of the bookmaker. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a stitching apparatus wherein the same stitcher may be used to stitch books either of the saddlestitch type or the side-stitch type.

A further object of the invention is to provide book-stitching apparatus in which the stitching mechanism is adapted either for saddle-stitch or side-stitch books, and one feeding mechanism suffices for both kinds of work.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the stitching apparatus embodying the invention, with parts of the signaturesupporting table and feeding mechanism shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the position of parts of the stitching mechanism for one type of work;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of one of the stitching units;

Fig. at is a rear elevation view of this unit.

In the drawings the numeral 5 designates a part of the framework of the machine, and 6 the signature-supporting saddle designed to support the stitchers for saddlestitch work, in the usual manner, and also provided with a longitudinally extending ledge or support 7 designed to support signatures fcr side-stitch work. This saddle, it will be understood, is suitably associated with the frame of the machine, and feeding mechanism of any suitable type is associated with that side of the saddle provided with the iedge 7. This feeding mechanism may be of the type shown in my prior United States 1 atent l o. 1,400,725, dated December 20, 1921, or of the type of machine shown in my copending application, Serial No. 78927, filed January 2, 1926. In either case the feeding mechanism embodies an intermittently longitudinaliy reciprocating feeding bar 8, and this may be'reciprocated as shown and described in my prior United States Patent No. 1,351,231, dated August 31, 1920. As shown, the cooperating part of the feeding mechanism embodies a plurality of spring-pressed lingers 9, one only of which is shown, which are intermittently reciprocated and cooperate with the feed bar 8 to move the assembled groups of signatures along the saddle, either when the signatures are arranged for saddle stitching or when arranged to have their edges abut against the ledge 7. As the particular feeding mechanism forms the subject-matter of my prior patent and of the application above referred to, further detailed description thereof is notconsidered necessary, inasmuch as for the purpose of this invention any suitable feeding mechanism associated with the saddle for saddle-stitch and side-stitch books may be used with the stitching apparatus hereinafter described.

l v'hile the stitching apparatus usually embodies stitching units arranged in pairs. only one of such units has been shown for the purpose of explaining the invention, other units acting in the same way as the one to he described.

Each stitching unit comprises a stitchercarrying frame 10 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 11 carried in the forked portions 12 of the frame 5 so that it may swing relative to the frame. The frame it) has a hollow tubular portion 13 in which a tubular portion 14: of the stitcher head 15 is slidably mounted and adapted to be held in locked position relative to the portion 13 by means of a set-screw 1G. The stitcher head 15 is provided with the usual stapling mechanism which is driven from a shaft 11" carrying a bevel gear 18 and meshing with another bevel gear 19 in the stitcher head which is mounted on a shaft 20. l fhen the stapling mechanism in an upright position for cooperation with the clincher mechanism hereinafter described for functioning as a saddle-stitch type of stitchin appara tus, the shaft 20 is driven from a hive shaft 21 through a series of gears. As shown. a gear 22 on the shaft 21 meshes with an ad .justable ill 1' 23 journalled on a shaft 2%; the gear 28 in turn meshes with a gear journalled on the shaft 26 which in turn meshes with a 27 on a shaft 28, which in turn meshes with a gear 29 on a shaft 30,

which in turn meshes with a gear 31 on a shaft 32, which inturn meshes with a gear 33 011a shaft 34, which also meshes with a gear 35 on a shaft 36, and the gear 35 meshes with a gear 37 on the shaft 20. The shafts 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 are stud "shafts secured to the tubular member 14, and the gears mounted thereon constitute a transmission mechanism between the gears 23 and 37 so that with the gearing above described the stitcher-drive-shaft 17 is driven from the main drive-shaft 21 when the stitcher is arranged in the upright position. v

Forside-stitch work, that is, where the staples pass through a group of signatures arranged to move along one side of the saddle adjacent the ledge Y, the stitching apparatus is designed to be swung from the full line position to the dotted line'position shown inFig. 1. JV hen the stitching mechanism is thus swung to the dotted-line position the gearing 23 is adjusted so as to mesh directly with the gear 87, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, so that the drive for the stitcher shaft 7 17 is then through the gear 22 on the shaft 21 to. the gear 23 and thence to the gear 37 journalled on the shaft 20. From Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the stud shaft 24 for the gear23 is mounted in an arcuate slot 38 in a stationary member 39 and is locked in position by a nut 40. The stitcher frame 10 is also looked in an adjusted position in either instance by means of a link 41 which at one end is clamped to the frame 39 by the nut 4l0 and at the other end clamped to the shaft 26 or to the shaft 20; in one instance by a nut 42and in the other instance by a bolt 43 designed to engage a threaded opening tt in shaft 20. When the stitoher is in an upright position the shaft 2% is'at one end of the slot 38, and when the stitcher' has been swungto the dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 24r has been moved to the other end ofthe slot 38, it being understood of course, that in changing the position of the stitcher from the full line position to the dotted lineposition the outer end of the link 41 is removed from the shaft 26 and connected with the shaft 20. v V

In changing the position of the stitcher from the" full line position to the dotted line position, it is necessary to have the stitcher head clear the feeding mechanism, and for this purposethe tubular portion 13 of the frame is provided with a slot 16 whereby upon the looseningof the set screw 16 the tubular portion 14 of the stitcher head may be pulled out to such an extent as to have the parts of the stitcher head clearthe feeding mechanism and thereafter be pushed back and secured inposition by the setscrew 16 when the stitcher head has assumed the dotted line position. V v

The detailed construction of the clincher otally mounted on the shaft 11 between parts l9 of the stit-cher frame 10.

The

other .bifurcated'arm of said lever 48 is f'cper ative'ly connected by a pin 51 to the actuating member 52 of another clincher nechanism 53'so that both clincher mechanisms are actuated through the swing of the lever 48. For oscillating the lever d8 so as to actuate the clinchers ie and 53, an arm oriev'er 54 is secured to the shaft 11 so to oscillate the same, and is connected by a pin 55 to a link 56 op'eratively connected by a pin T5"? to a cam-operated lever 58 pivoted intermediate its ends at '59 and carrying a roliereo'en sgnr a cam 61 driven by the shaft 21. llith this construction, when the stitcher is in the full line position the rotation of the cam 61 causes an oscil lation of the lever 58 in proper timed relation with the stapling mechanism so as to swing the lever 48tlirough the connections above described to operate the stapling device 45 so that the staples are clinched in the groups of signatures passing along the inverted if-SllcIPd saddle. -i hen the stitcher head is swung to the dotted line position and the camel is rotated to actuate the lever 58,'the'lever 48 is oscillated as in the first set up, but in this instance the stitcher head'is now in a position to cooperate'with the mechanism 53 so that this clincher now becomes effective and the signatures which pass along one side of the saddle adjacent the ledge 7 are stitched.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have provided a stitching apparatus wherein either saddle or side type stitching may be accomplished on the same machine and with a single feeding mechanism.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or ar'angement of parts eX- ce'pt in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. 7

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a book-stitching machine, stitching mechanism including staplingmechanism movable to a position to saddle-stitch a group of signatures and to a position to sidestitch a group of signatures, and means for operating said stapling mechanism.

2. In a book-stitching machine, the combination of stitching mechanism including stapling mechanism having a plurality of stitching positions and movable to said positlons for differenttypes of stitchlng, means for drivinsaid sta lin mechanism in either of its stitching positions, and signa ture-carrying means operable to convey the signatures past said stitching mechanism in either of its stitching positions, said stapling mechanism being movable to either of its stitching positions Without interfering With said signature-carrying means.

3. In a book-stitching machine, the combination of a support for carrying a straddled group of signatures or a group of signatures on one side thereof, signature-com veying means operable to carry either arrangement of signatures along said support, stitching mechanism including stapling mechanism adapted to be moved to operate on either arrangement of signatures to respectively produce either a saddle-stitched or a side-stitched book, clincher mechanisms respectively cooperating With said stapling mechanism in its operating positions, a COlIlmon actuating means for said clincher mechanisms, and means for driving said stapling mechanism in either of its stitching positions.

4. In a book-stitching machine, the combination of a support for carrying a straddled group of signatures or a group of signatures on one side thereof, signaturecon veying means operable to carry either arrangement of signatures along said support, stitching mechanism including stapling mechanism sWingable to a position to operate on either arrangement of signatures to respectively produce either a saddlestitched or side-stitched book, clincher mechanisms respectively cooperating With said stapling mechanism in its operating positions, a common actuating means for said clincher mechanisms, and means for driving said stapling mechanism in either of its stitching positions.

5. In a book-stitching machine, the combination of a support including a saddle for carrying a straddled group of signatures or a group of signatures on one side thereof, signature-conveying means, stitching mechanism including stapling mechanism movable to a position to operate on a straddled group of signatures or on a group of signatures on one side of the saddle, a clincher mechanism operable through the apex. of said saddle and cooperating with said stapling mechanism in one of its positions to saddle-stitch a group of straddled signatures, clincher mechanism operable through one side of said saddle and cooperating With said stapling mechanism in the other of its positions to side-stitch a group of signatures, and means for driving said stapling mechanism in either of its operating positions.

6. In a book-stitching machine, the combination With a support, of signature-supporting means and signature-feeding means for either saddle-stitch or side-stitch grouping of signatures, stitching mechanism including stapling mechanism operable on either arrangement of signatures and including an extensible head swingable relative to said support and extensible during its shifting from one of its operating positions to the other to clear said feeding means, and means for operating said stapling mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

MARTIN CHRISTENSEN. 

